Home

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

So I wake up this morning to SNOW, LOTS of SNOW! This just made me SO much more excited for Christmas to come! I love white Christmas's, it is just so beautiful! So being in the Christmas mood, I figured I would share some of my FAVORITE Christmas "things!"

Drink: Hot Chocolate with Candy Canes! This is so delicious, nothing is better than peppermint hot chocolate! I have been doing this since I was little. I remember coming inside from playing in the snow to a nice hot cup of this deliciousness! It just TASTES like Christmas!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Well, unfortunately the lovely long weekend of family, friends, and food is over...So sad! It all flew by too quickly! I am thankful for all the wonderful memories, and for having that relaxing time to just BE with the family. We made it up north thankfully! We came home Thursday night to go out for Black Friday! It was my first time out, quite the experience. You can read about that HERE.

Saturday we met up with our friends Jessie and Justin at a pet adoption. There were so many sweet animals that need homes! I can't wait until Sean and I can rescue a dog! Then we went to lunch at a Chinese buffet...YUMMY! After lunch we got to drive past their new home..super cute! Can't wait to help them move this upcoming weekend! Saturday night we helped our other friends move into their new home...we are also so excited for them! SO FUN! Afterwards we tried watching The Grinch, but I fell asleep right away!

Sunday we spent the afternoon with Sean's family! We had our 2nd Thanksgiving which was delicious! So nice and relaxing! My mom also ordered us an area rug for when we move out! I LOVE IT! and those can get expensive! What do you think?!

I love the earth tones, it opens up so many possibilities for accent colors and stuff!

HAPPY NEWS! This is Sean's last week of college...Thursday is his last day ever and he will be done! I am sooooo proud of him, he has worked so hard, and come so far!! I LOVE this man with ALL MY HEART!

I hope you all enjoyed your long holiday weekend! Share with me some memories you made :)

Friday, November 26, 2010

I hope everyone had an AMAZING Thanksgiving, I know I sure did! I thank everyone for the prayers for safe travel this week, WE MADE IT TO SEE MY FAMILY! Even though we drove a total of 400 miles in one day, it was totally worth it to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We ate, talked, played games, and ate some more! Then we headed back home to take a nap and be ready to go out shopping at 10 with our friends Jessie and Justin!

OH MY GOODNESS!! Okay, so I have never been out for Black Friday before...I know, crazy right? We normally stay up north at my grandmas, and the only store in her small town is a Pamida....which pretty much sucks! So Jessie and me set up a plan of action this week to tackle the amazing deals at Walmart!

We went at 10, thinking we could be proactive and shop before, then just check out when the sales started at midnight...well we were wrong! Everything was on pallets wrapped in black plastic so we have NO idea where anything was! We started to get sneaky and poke holes in the plastic to find what we were looking for so we could make a new plan. Once we found everything, we decided to try to sneak some of the items that weren't as tightly wrapped into our carts before midnight! HAHAHA, we saw others doing it...we felt like we were stealing, but we were stealing things we were going to buy LOL! When 11:30 rolled around we assumed our positions! Justin was at the frames, Me and Jess at the shop vacs, and Sean by the towels and tupperware! Poor Sean kept texting me saying all the ladies were getting vicious over there! Once 11:57 came everyone started ripping! Jess and I took our shop vacs and ran to help Sean! We got our towels and tupperware then ran to find Justin who was suppose to head to the movies!....WOW the movies were the big item I guess, it was seriously a mosh pit....TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT!

We definitely had a blast!! We left with some great steals including the towels, tupperware, a crock pot, so AWESOME frames, shop vac, and Sean got a sweatshirt and tape measure! It is fun starting to collect stuff for when we move out, and we got such great deals!

Did you face the crowds of Black Friday? If so, what was the most exciting deal you got!?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I know its not until tomorrow officially, but the plan is I will be up north and won't be blogging...still praying the weather cooperates! Its not looking so good :-( Anyways! I am taking time today to write down things that I am truly thankful for, the things that mean the world to me, and have made me who I am today!

MY FAMILY! They are sooo amazing, and I wouldn't be who or where I am today without them. They have provided me with unconditional love, and endless support through school, my relationships, and my jobs. I can not be thankful enough to have been blessed with them!

SEAN! Sean is the love of my life, my best friend, and I cannot wait to spend my whole life with him. I am so thankful that God's plan was to bring us together at the young age of 14. We have grown together, made mistakes together, learned together, and made so many memories already! He is such an incredible man, he takes care of me, and has grown tremendously as a person, in his faith, and in 1 week he will be graduating from college! I am so proud of him, and I am so honored to say he is MINE!

MY PETS! I am such an animal lover, and I am so thankful for my sweet cats! Kirby, Keely, Oliver, and Lucky....they are the best! I can't believe such a little creature that can't even talk can make you feel so much better when your down!

MY FRIENDS! I have so many amazing friends, they have been there for me through thick and thin, through good times, and bad....they are so much fun, and so wonderful! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

OUR HOME! We are still praying about the house we put an offer on...we knew it would take a while to hear anything...and it is definitely worth the wait. Even if this one doesn't work out, I am thankful we are well on our way to getting a home! Thank you for all your prayers and support! SO exciting!

BOARD GAMES! It is a family tradition on the holidays for us to play board games! We LOVE playing Balderdash! We just laugh and enjoy each other's company..such great memories!

CHRISTMAS LISTS! It is another family tradition that all the cousins sit down after our big meal and look through all the black Friday ads to write out our Christmas lists!

3 DAY WORK WEEK! YES!!!! I am so happy today is the last day of work for the week! I definitely need to time off to spend with my loved ones!

YOU GUYS! The blogging world, and all my blogging buddies that comment, and follow, and share advice and stories with me are so wonderful! It has been such a positive environment to join, and I am Thankful for each and every one of you!!

Safe travels for everyone that is heading out for Thanksgiving! GOD BLESS!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Happy Tuesday everyone! Only 2 days left until wonderful Thanksgiving!! I cannot wait to get up north and see my family!! I am still praying the weather will be okay for safe travel. Send out your prayers, they are very appreciated! I am keeping today short and sweet...just wanted to share a few of my favorite foods from my dear grandmas Thanksgiving meal!

1. STUFFING! Her stuffing is amazing, especially with gravy on top!

2. TURKEY! Once again with gravy on top!

3. PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE!! now this is absolutely amazing! If you like pumpkin pie, and cheesecake this dessert is a must try!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Well another wonderful weekend has come and gone! I am okay with that this week because I only have 2 days of work! So technically it is Thursday today!! WAHOO!!

So Friday night I spent with my sweetheart! We just relax, talked, and as I like to say fell in love even more! Not seeing Sean as much lately really has made me cherish our time together, and every time I DO get to spend with him, I fall in love all over again :)

Saturday we did a TON of Christmas shopping! They had some really great "before black Friday" sales....weird I know, it kind of defeats the purpose of black Friday, but we saved a LOT of money! My wonderful dad bought Sean and I a dining room table! This year we decided to start collecting stuff for when we move out! So exciting! We also got a TV stand from Sean's mom. They are matching real wood, its called Espresso, so beautiful! Here is the TV stand we got...isn't it great? I love the dark rich wood!

My kitty Oliver doesn't know what to think of all the furniture boxes....look at him being so silly! He flattens his ears to try to hide, he has such a personality!

My mom also finished up getting gifts for my two little sisters Jaclyn and Jodell. It was fun helping her pick out things for them! Saturday night we went over to our dear friends Jessie and Justin's house! We cooked some delicious wild rice soup (dying to get the recipe), and played some Wii, it was a great time!

Sunday we officially became members of the church Sean and I are getting married in! It was such a great service, and afterwards they hosted cake and coffee to welcome us! Besides church, we pretty much stayed inside and had another relaxing day. The weather here in MN has been gross....the roads are like ice rinks! We took the truck out of park Sunday morning and it slid all the way down the driveway, so slippery! Today isn't much better either.....Please send us your prayers that weather will be okay for travel Thursday morning. We are suppose to head up to Duluth MN to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I will be really disappointed if the weather prevents us from going :(

Friday, November 19, 2010

I am SOO unbelievably happy it is Friday! AND even better, next week is only a 3 day work week! I cannot tell you how excited I am to get up north and see my wonderful family! Last Thanksgiving we spent with Sean's, so this year its my families turn!

I am definitely looking forward to a weekend of relaxing again. Now that we are waiting on this house, we are definitely saving our money, so this leaves us with a lot of time at home doing nothing! This is actually a good thing since we had been SO incredibly busy lately. Saturday my mom asked us to help her get some Christmas shopping done. She likes the company, and I like to help her pick stuff out for my sisters!

Sunday we finally get to become official members of the church Sean and I will be getting married in!! After church, Sean's brother and his wife are hosting a small Thanksgiving for the immediate family. It will be nice to see them, haven't since they got married October 2nd!

The last thing I wanted to share today was a holiday tradition! My amazing friend Ashley (check out her cute blog!) tagged me asking me to share a sweet story from the holidays. Every year my family decorates the tree while listening to Christmas music. Then we make a bunch of delicious treats!! We melt chocolate and almond bark to dunk pretzels in and to make "ice cream cones." We also bake a ton of cookies. We put together little bags for everyone to take with them!

So these "ice cream cones" I mentioned are the best, I highly recommend making them. They are easy, and delicious! You take bugles, and fill them with melted almond bark, then place a Christmas colored M&M on top. It gives you the sweet and salty taste...one of my favs!! My other favorite treat is also super easy! You place a rolo on a pretzel. Put them in the oven just long enough to get the rolo to get soft. They you push an M&M into the rolo! SOOOO YUMMY! Sweet and salty again!

What are you doing this weekend?! Are you in the Holiday spirit as much as I am?!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

As you already probably know, today is one of my favorite days in the blogging world! I love sharing what I am thankful for, and love hearing what everyone else is thankful for! Lets get started!

31. The fact that Thanksgiving is 1 week away!! This is one of my favorite holidays! I love going up north and spending time with my family, as well as enjoying my grandmas amazingly delicious Thanksgiving dinner! There is so much to be thankful for this year!

32. Apple Blast! Caribou has this extremely delicious drink called the apple blast! It is like Christmas in your mouth! YUMMY, I am addicted!

33. Christmas Music! I am so happy that it is already being played on the radio! It just makes me even more excited for the holidays!

34. Candles! I have always LOVED LOVED LOVED candles. Candlelight is so romantic, and the smells are the best! This time of year apple cinnamon is my favorite! Smells like Christmas!

35. My truck! I am so thankful to have my truck during the winter months. I am a wimp when it comes to winter driving, but my truck makes me feel so much safer!

I am definitely looking forward to another relaxing weekend. One day left!! What are you most thankful for today?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

My blogging buddy over at Living in our Love Story posted a bunch of fun questions to answer about your significant other and yourself! So fun! I picked out some of my favorites to answer! Here is Sean and my story!

1. What are your middle names?

Patrick and Leigh

2. How long have you been together?

7 years 10 months...It will be 8 years January 17th!

3. Who asked who out?

Sean asked me out after I prank phone called him haha

4. How old are you?

We are both 22

5. Where is the furthest you have traveled to as a couple?

LAS VEGAS! It was so amazing, we can't wait to go back!

Us dancing in Vegas!

6. Who majored in what?

Sean is majoring in HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning). He graduates December 2nd, I am so proud of him! I am majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Marketing. I graduate March 25th!

7. Who is the smartest?

Sean is definitely smarter in math and science, but I am better at English type stuff! We were each others lifesavers through school!!

8. Who does the cooking?

Sean is a better cook than me, but I am definitely learning. We like to cook together for the most part though.

9. Who is more social?

Sean, he can talk to anybody, anywhere, about anything!

10. Who is the neat freak?

ME! haha

11. Where was your first date?

I think it was the 8th grade dance haha! We also loved going to movies when we were younger

12. How do you spend the holidays?

Well, the holidays for us are difficult, we usually have about 5 places to make it to. His family is in southern MN and mine are in Duluth MN which is way north....we always seem to make it work though!

13. What do you do for a living?

I am a PCA for a boy with autism and work at a before and after school childcare program. Sean works at Air Mechanical, a HVAC place.

14. Who wakes up earlier?

I do on the weekdays, I have to be to work by 6:30am. On the weekends Sean does...and he can't seem to let me sleep in either :)

15. What is your song?

Brad Paisley "She's Everything" is very special to both of us :) It describes our relationship perfectly!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Happy Tuesday everyone! Some exciting news....I registered for my last semester of college yesterday! After I finish the last 4 weeks of this semester, I only have 4 classes left! I cannot wait to be done, I have really struggled with motivation these past couple months! Now I can only hope and pray I find a job afterwards!

So today is challenge day. The challenge was to do something to support a cause or issue you really care about. This was easy for me because it is the season of giving. I have always loved to give to others, it makes me feel good. There are a couple different things going on at the school I work at. One is called Making Spirits Bright. They are collecting items for families in need. The other is a food drive. The kids have been working so hard to raise 500lbs of food for the the upcoming holiday. I donated some money to a fund to help my co worker re-purchase her Thanksgiving meal. She had boughten it, but lost power from the storm this past weekend and it all went bad. She isn't able to afford to buy another meal, so my co workers and I are raising money to help buy her family another Thanksgiving dinner.

I am halfway done with the ten weeks of challenges now! I have to say they really have expanded my horizon and made things fun and interesting! The new challenge is: Eat or drink something that brings you back to childhood memories! What were some of your favorite foods when you were younger? Should be fun :)

Monday, November 15, 2010

Happy Monday everyone! I am so happy to say I am feeling optimistic about this week...Usually Mondays are such a drag for me, but I think this weekend was exactly what I needed.

I spent Friday night with my mom and little sister! Sean had to work late, so we had a ladies night.

My sweet sister and Mom

We ordered pizza and cuddled in and watched some TV. We couldn't stop talking about decorating ideas for the house we are praying becomes ours! Good news, it was taken off the website today, the seller liked our offer...now we just wait on the bank for however long they take! We are staying optimistic...this house is just so perfect for us, already feels like home. However, if it doesn't work out for some reason, it wasn't part of God's plan right?

I was in for a surprise Saturday when I woke up to SNOW! It really got me excited for the holidays...it was so beautiful out, AND even better, Sean didn't have to work because of the weather! We literally laid around all day watching movies with my mom and sister, drinking coffee, and enjoying each others company. We made one outing to Target for some stuff. I bought the best frame ever...it has room for 4 pictures and says "When counting my blessings, I count you twice." I LOVED it! It will be perfect to showcase our wonderful engagement pictures.

Sunday we spent the whole morning/afternoon at church. We had orientation for becoming members. This upcoming Sunday we will go before the congregation and be welcomed as members finally! We are so excited to become members, and really get involved in the church. It is such a great community!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! If you are feeling down, and not ready to face this week, be optimistic!

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope!"

Friday, November 12, 2010

So I wanted to start off today with the wonderful award I received from a blogging friend of mine, Jeska. She gave me the Friendly Rely Award! Here are the questions and my answers!

1. What did you first want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a dance teacher. I LOVED dancing growing up, and still do!

2. What were your favorite cartoons?

I absolutley loved Mickey and Minnie Mouse! I was so tiny when I was little and had a super high voice, so my whole family called me Min Mouse, and still do today :)

3. Favorite childhood game?

I was obsessed with "store"...I had a little register and I would love ringing up items HAHA

4. Most favorite birthday?

I love all my birthdays because we have a family tradition to get together for dinner!

5. Something you've always wanted to do and haven't done yet?

Travel. I have been to Las Vegas, Florida, Wisconsin, and South Dakota...Not very many places. I would love to travel out of the country!

6. What was your first love?

Dancing!

7. First musical Idol?

I really loved Blink 182 lol

8. Favorite gift?

Probably my camera. I love taking pictures and capturing memories!

9. If a theme song played for you everywhere you went, what would it be?

Bon Jovi Living on a Prayer!!

10.Favorite city to visit?

Duluth MN. My whole family is up there, and it is beautiful!

Thanks again for the award Jeska!!

Now for fabulous Friday!!

My Friday so far hasn't gone too well...I woke up this morning and didn't get my check :( I guess direct deposit got messed up with Veterans Day yesterday, BOO. Tonight I am looking forward to some time at home with the family, I have missed my sweet little sister. The rest of the weekend is going to be very laid back. I want to try to tackle some wedding tasks, I have been so busy so this weekend will be the perfect opportunity to get the ball rolling.

Sunday after church we are staying after to discuss becoming members! We are really excited for this, and next Sunday we will be welcomed into the church officially! :)

Thursday, November 11, 2010

There are so many things I am thankful for this week! Lets get right into it!

26. The Veterans! I work at a school, and there were veterans of all ages that came to greet the kids. It was amazing seeing the children's faces admiring these heroes. I am so very thankful for everything they have done and continue to do for our country!

27. Putting down an offer! I am thankful we were able to put an offer on our dream house, our first home together. It is so exciting!

28. Prayers and Support! I cannot be thankful enough for all the prayers and support from all my blogging buddies, my family, friends, and co workers! Thanks again, and continue to send us your prayers for everything to work out with our first home, they are very much appreciated!

29. Christmas decor and ads! All the hype for the holidays has really brightened my days this past week! I absolutely love the holiday season, and I cannot wait for it to come!

30. Olive Garden! yummy yummy! I will be going there for lunch with some friends today. Can't wait for some soup, salad, and bread sticks!

I also wanted to to say how happy I am to have received the Friendly Relay Award from my sweet blogging friend Jeska! I will answer all the questions in tomorrows blog!! :)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

So we put an offer on the house last night! It went really well, my dad loved it which really made me excited! Our Realtor shared some information that made us feel better about the short sale, she seemed to think everything was going to work out fine as long as were patient. I guess the average short sales takes 4-6 months. For us this is actually perfect because I graduate in March, and who likes to move in the winter?

All this house stuff really started to get me thinking and realizing how fast time has gone by...It literally feels like yesterday that my only worries were if mom and dad were going to say yes to a sleepover, and if I would get cookies after dinner. Now I am dealing with buying a house, graduating from college, getting a "real job" soon...its really exciting, scary, sometimes I don't believe it....

I know my parents are excited for me, but at the same time I could see in my dad's eye that he couldn't believe his little girl was signing papers to buy a house with the man she will be marrying in less than a year...everything just really hit me.

I recently got Taylor Swifts new album, which is great! There is a song on it that really reminds me of my this. It's called Never Grow Up.

"Don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Well tonight we will be signing our lives away as people say....we are making an offer on the house!!

I am a little nervous, the house is a short sale....so basically after we make our offer we may wait a week, or have to wait months to hear anything back from the bank. The bank has to accept the offer, or in other words be okay with taking a loss on this home. It will break my heart if we wait months to hear that the bank rejected it...but I guess that is the risk we are taking! We will continue to pray and rely on God to guide us along this journey...what happens happens for a reason right?

Now I wanted to share with you Sean and my date night! We decided to try a new bar and grill called Malones. The food was amazing, and the atmosphere was really fun! Last weeks challenge was to do something that is typically seen as being out of the ordinary. Well I took our date as the opportunity to do this. Sean and I ordered dessert first!! So Fun! Our waitress looked at us weird as Sean asked for chocolate cake as an appetizer... HAHA. And let me tell you this was no normal chocolate cake...it was dinner plate size!

We were full after dessert! We took most of our entrées home as left overs! This was quite the experience, and I would definitely do it again!

This weeks challenge is: Do something to support a cause or issue you really care about!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Wow! What a crazy weekend I had! Crazy in a good way :) And it was so nice it was extra long!

Saturday night Sean and my date night was perfect! I will share more about it tomorrow because it goes hand in hand with this weeks challenge! So fun!

Sunday we went and looked at a house....one that I have been admiring online for many months now. Well the price dropped and we had to see it! Of course we loved it, so now we are trying to deal with the loan officers... NOT FUN! I'm trying not to get my hopes up because I am sure it will get snatched up before we figure our financing out since it's such a long process, but we are praying and hoping! Either way at least we are taking the steps to start our house hunt.

So is anyone else noticing the increase in Christmas music, commercials, ads, and what not?! This weekend I was really shocked with how fast everything went into Christmas mode! YAY, so exciting! I have such a sweet tooth, and I found my new favorite Christmas candy this weekend. It is Dove chocolate with peppermint bark! MMM so delicious!

And I love the little notes inside the wrappers....the couple I had today were "Promise yourself some relaxing holiday moments", "Joy is contagious," and "Always give from the heart." Aren't those sweet and uplifiting? I suggest you try these delicious treats, they are very addicting!

Friday, November 5, 2010

We finally made it to Friday! It has been such a busy week, I am looking forward to a weekend of relaxing, and hanging out, just like the kitty above. Isn't he cute?

I remember being younger I use to always want to have something going on, I would never want to just sit home. The past year has really shown to me how important it is to have time to just BE...be with your family, be with your friends, be home relaxing....time that is not actually on a time limit...time when you don't have to be following a schedule and be worried about being somewhere. This is what my weekend will be about :)

Sean has to work all day Saturday, so I will definitely be sleeping in and spending time at home until he gets off work. Saturday night is DATE NIGHT :) I am so excited to go out with my man and have one on one time to just talk and BE together. We are trying to think of a new restaurant to try....any suggestions?

Sunday our friends from high school invited us to lunch at this Italian restaurant they have been dying to try. Its like a build your own pasta dish type thing, sounds fun! It will be nice to catch up with them, its been too long! As usual, Sunday will be our catch up day as well to finish any homework, and get things taken care of that we need to.

I wanted to share the link to the recent sister/mama shoot the wonderful Ria from {Ri Photography}and from Life as a Wife! blessed us with! We are planning on using these pictures for Christmas present for my Dad and other family members. It was so fun to get us all together, it is rare now a days :(

Thursday, November 4, 2010

YAY! It is Thursday again, So So happy about that :) I'm just going to jump right into it this week!

21. Hugs! Aren't hugs great? They always make me feel better if I am down!! Hugs are the best!

22. NyQuil! Since I have been under the weather the past week, NyQuil has been my best friend. It has helped me sleep, and wake up refreshed to start a new day!

23. My tattoos! I aways knew I wanted a tattoo, but I waited for a long time so I could decide the perfect thing to get. I got 2 the end of summer, and LOVE them! I got a cross on the back of my neck, and the word LOVE with a heart on the inside of my ankle. They both are small, and simple....and have such STRONG meanings! It feels great to always have these two very important things with me at all times.

25. Date nights! I haven't seen Sean all week due to his late work hours, and our busy schedules clashing...this makes me so sad since he is my motivation and support, it gets really hard not to see him! We are planning a date night for Saturday that I could not be more excited about...any ideas?!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday, the weekend is just around the corner :)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

So apparently there is a fun game going around the blog world, and I was tagged!! Here are my questions and answers :)

1. What is your favorite physical feature of your husband?

This is hard! I can't just pick one so I am going to go with my favorite 3 . I love Sean's smile, its contagious, his dimple, and he has the most beautiful eyes I have EVER seen!!

2. How many kids do you want to have? Boys, girls?

As of right now, Sean and I aren't ready for kids...we are so focused on graduating college, getting married, and buying a house! If down the road we decide a child is in our future, I would say I would want one boy and one girl!

3. Where would your dream vacation be?

Ireland!! Sean is SO Irish, Sean Patrick Grady, need I say more? I also have quite a bit if Irish in me! I have heard that it is so beautiful there, and I think it would be so fun to check out our heritage first hand!

4. What is one thing you have done that you so wish you could take back?

I honestly can't say I have regrets. I believe everything I have been through and done has made me who I am today. If I had to pick one thing though, I would say I wish I would have been nicer to my sister, and mom when I was in those oh so pleasant teenage years!

5. Tell me about the most embarressing thing that has happened to you!

I don't get embarrassed very easily so this is tough! I guess I would have to say when Sean saw old home videos when we first started dating.....I was something else when I was younger!

6. What is one thing that could turn your bad day, into a great day

Well, Sean always makes me feel better. Just a hug and a kiss from him can turn my day around! Spending time with my little sister Jodell also always puts a smile on my face. She is so funny, and full of life, I can't help but be happy when she is around!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Happy Tuesday everyone! So now that Fall is coming to an end, and Halloween is over.....I am starting to get SUPER excited for CHRISTMAS!!! Christmas is hands down my favorite holiday and time to celebrate. It gives you such a cozy feeling inside, and everyone seems so happy. I went to a craft store the other day, and they had all their Christmas stuff out already, YAY :)

I usually am not the type of person to drag out a holiday, but I always love to have Christmas decorations up early! I'm hoping to get them up within the next couple weeks! Some of my favorite things Christmas related include Christmas music, lights, family, friends, exchanging gifts, Christmas movies (especially Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story), mistletoes, homemade meals, decorating the tree, baking, and Christmas smells!! That smell of cinnamon just screams Christmas to me! I also love to go to the Holidazle Parade. Here is a picture from last year!

Are you as excited as me?! What are your favorite things for this upcoming holiday season?!

So last weeks challenge was to spend 15-20 minutes doing something you LOVE that you don't often have the time to do. Even though last week was very busy, I was able to spend all of Saturday doing things I loved! Just being with my family was wonderful. I also got to go shopping, and do all the Fall activities I talked about in yesterday's blog! I haven't been able to do that stuff for a couple years now!

The new challenge is: Do something that is typically seen as being out of the ordinary.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Wow! What a great weekend I had! I hope everyone else enjoyed their Halloween weekend as well!

Don't you love how each season has activities or different things you do for it?! Well my Saturday was full of Fall fun-ness! Ryan, the boy I PCA for, my little sister Jodell, my Mom, and one of my best friends ever Molly came and joined in the fun!! We started by making Halloween Cookies, MMMMM!

Next we made caramel apples! I have never made a caramel apple, I've always just bought them pre-made, so this was interesting to say the least! They turned out cute, and were a lot of fun!

After the apples were finished we carved pumpkins! SO FUN!

We ended our Fall fun-ness with pizza and one of my all time favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus!

Sunday was another great day! We started the day with church. Then my sisters, my mom, and me went to lunch and out shopping for a bit! I got some great stuff at even greater prices! My sweetheart finally got home Sunday afternoon. He had gone up north to take the dock out at the cabin and close it up for the winter, so sad! When he got home, Jodell and him carved their pumpkins :)

This year my little sister didn't want to go trick or treating, but she still wanted to dress up. So Sean decided to dress up with her to hand out candy, so sweet of him. She was a zombie fairy, and Sean was a zombie as well!!

I was kinda disappointed with how quiet trick or treating was this year....Oh well!